I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2011.
So far, I have been lucky in being able to control it with diet and no medication, and have declined vehemently the prescription of statins.
I have read so many articles of the onset of other problems with various organs that I am not willing to take the chance of something going drastically wrong with my body’s works and be worse off than I am now.
I am NOT disregarding or ignoring medical advice, and get regular blood tests, blood pressure checks and weigh ins.
I am due for my first diabetes appointment of the year in a few weeks, and know that I will be facing the same argument over the statins issue, plus discussions about my weight.
After such positive results over the past few years, suddenly I seem to have no control over my cravings, and although I can still do the dog lead shimmie and all my clothes fit, I am heavier than I was a year ago.
There are other things too:
1. Having to get up most nights for a wee, even if I haven’t had anything to drink after 8pm which I believed before was the reason.
2. Tingling in my right shoulder and down my arm into my hand, which is possibly down to the trapped nerve in my hip on that side.
3. Feeling ‘nice’ hungry nearly all the time.
4. Hot flushes in the night and unable to reduce the discomfort by pushing off the duvet.
5. My feet are hurting again.
6. Feeling tired when I haven’t done anything and getting a little out of breath when I do!
Recently, The Honey Monster alerted me that my sugar levels had spiked. That is a sure sign that I’m doing something wrong, so I shall address our diet when I next go shopping.
Once again it has been all over the place, so I think more fruit and veg is required, and I need to look into starches. Treats will be kicked into touch for the time being.
I’ll keep you informed as to progress.
pensitivity101 
Really interested in this because I am “borderline” type 2. I rather suspect that I am slowly slipping over same border! 😦
Likewise Colin. My sugar levels are good, my BP good for my age, my weight was going in the right direction ( 😦 ) but my cholesterol was always too high for their liking (Lincolnshire GP). Here they would like it to be lower, but weren’t making too much of a fuss until my last blood test and they were pushing the statins thing again. My cholesterol level then was 5.8, almost 2 points down from Lincolnshire. It is possible my cholesterol is naturally high (it hasn’t changed very much in over 25 years) so medication wouldn’t help, which is why I am against taking it. I am not daft enough to think it will ‘go away’, and since diagnosis, I have been pretty vigilant in having a varied diet and getting plenty of exercise (Maggie sees to that of course). I hope to stick with the diet rather than pills for as long as I can.
I hope the appointment goes well!
Me too. Not looking forward to it to be honest.
I don’t think it is something anyone in his or her right mind would look forward to.
Sigh. My dad fought this, too(he lived to almost 100- so there is hope) – and my brother now. Walking and lots of it.
They tried to force statins on me – but I had such pain, lack of energy and generally felt dead until I stopped. Some people can’t take them. Current doc says as long as my “good cholesterol” remains very high, she backs off on it. There is a new drug some who do not tolerate statins are using instead. It’s new here and I know little about it. Like you, I’ll try to work diet and exercise level to maintain if possible. I’m not looking forward to doc visit either. Hope yours goes well!
Thanks.
I hope your appointment goes well. It’s sooo hard to control your diet for so long, or to lose weight, and you have done really well! I’ll be looking out for your post with your results.
Diabetes does not run in my family but I’ve had two cats with it. The meds (insulin and others) have come a long way from the first diagnosis in the 90s. The cats didn’t have a diet issue (without thumbs they can’t open cabinet doors for chips) but exercise was at their own discretion. Both cats did have an occasional bout with neuropathy in the legs. I wish you luck on your journey. As a side note, heart disease does run in my family so my doc wants to keep my cholesterol low. I did the fight for a long time and then agreed to “try” statins but balked at his prescription. I had done my homework and insisted that he put me on the lowest possible dosage (which he said wasn’t available — it was). He wasn’t happy because he didn’t think it would be effective. Ha! I lost 40 points in 3 months. I don’t have issues with it but again I take a dosage so low that most people don’t believe it comes in such a small dosage. I also threatened to cut the pill in half. I am convinced that people are overdosed on a lot of stuff.
My mother, her brothers and her father were all diabetics. Mum, 94 this May, is type 2, but I don’t know if the others were 1 or 2 as it was apparently something never discussed and didn’t come to light until after they’d passed away. Mum controls hers by diet mostly, though she is on some medication now.
My father died of a heart attack at 67, which got me thinking about our diet and general health, then in 2010 my brother in law collapsed and died from a massive heart attack aged 54. That was a shock to everyone, and the decider for me to visit Bro in NZ as you never know what’s round the corner, and life is too short.
I’m interested in your low dosage statin though. Do you know what your cholesterol level is now?
My cholesterol at the beginning was around 210 which is borderline. (I don’t know if you have the same scales in the UK) The doc was alarmed because of the incidence of heart disease in my parents. A dose of 5 mg of simvastatin brought it down to around 160 which is low. My HDL is also where it should be. Originally he tried to put me on a dose of 20 mg, then 10 mg. Fortunately I insisted we start low.
Seems we use a different scale for cholesterol in the UK. If they insist on medication, then I’ll hold out as you did for the lowest dose possible. Hubby was put on statins after his heart scare, and it did reduce his cholesterol, but made him feel fuzzy, funny and shaky, so he stopped after a couple of months.
I have a friend who takes it every other day.
OK, readers, here’s my stuff: weight = 256# 5’9′; BMI = 37; simvistatin = 20 mg x 1 daily; glucose = 100; cholesterol = 148; A1C = 6.2%…so close, borderline. Age 75. No smoking, no alcohol. Many salads…. Good luck to us all.
Thanks Jim. No smoking, no alcohol for me too, too many salads have the reverse effect, have no idea what my BMI is, height 5’7, last sugar 3.8, cholesterol 5.8 and my BP I can’t remember but Nursie was pleased.
Oh, BTW: I am big boned. :o)
🙂
I wish you all the best, old friend.
I mean that.
Thanks Hook.